Regional Issues

At any given time, there are numerous airspace-related issues that NBAA would like its Members to be aware of. In order to make it easier for Members to locate issues most relevant to them, NBAA has categorized the current airspace issues by FAA Region.

Dec. 12, 2014Large sporting events lead to special planning for all use of all types of infrastructure in a host city, including usage of roads, subways and of course, airports. The FAA has released a Special Air Traffic Procedures Notice to Airmen for the NCAA College Football Championship, set for Jan. 12, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. There will be no FAA managed air traffic slot reservation program in place, however, there will be required departure routes out of the Dallas-area airports, as well as possible traffic management initiatives for arriving traffic between Jan. 8 and 13. For additional information, view NBAA's college football championship web page.

March 3, 2014The FAA has released an airspace study from the United States Air Force proposing to establish the Powder River Training Complex military operations areas for North and South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming – a plan that concerns NBAA, which plans to submit comments to the proposal. The airspace would cover a huge swath of high and low altitudes across all four states, and be active for significant periods of time from Monday through Friday in both the mornings and evenings. "If implemented as proposed, the potential impact on business aviation operators is very significant. Operating IFR, as most of our NBAA Members do, will require pilots to fly around MOAs, adding potentially hundreds of miles to their flights," said Bob Lamond, NBAA's director of air traffic services and infrastructure. Learn more about the airspace study.

Jan. 22, 2014
For the first time, there will be no FAA E-STMP air traffic slot reservation requirements for any of the Augusta-area airports during the 2014 Masters Golf Tournament. However, there will be parking reservation requirements for Augusta Regional (AGS), Aiken Municipal (AIK), Thomson McDuffie (/HQU) and Daniel Field (DNL) starting Friday, April 4 at 5 p.m. local time through Monday, April 14. The mandatory parking reservation program will be managed via a common website for all four area airports, which will go live on March 1. Additional details can be found on NBAA’s Masters web page.

Jan. 20, 2014
Each year, accommodations must be made for all modes of transportation to and from the Super Bowl's host city – including all types of aviation traffic. This year, the Super Bowl will be held on Feb. 2 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The FAA last week issued an advisory for the New York/New Jersey region for Jan. 29 to Feb. 3. As previously reported, parking reservations will be required at both Teterboro (TEB) and Morristown Municipal (MMU) airports. The FAA has no plans to implement an air traffic slot program. The advisory, which emphasizes the high volume of traffic expected Sunday night through Monday night, will be reissued daily through Feb. 3. Review the latest information as it becomes available on NBAA's Super Bowl resources page.

Feb. 25, 2013
The FAA has issued a NOTAM allowing properly-equipped aircraft to be issued IFR departure clearances from uncontrolled airports that are beyond 40 NM from the NAVAID without radar monitoring. GNSS-equipped aircraft may now receive these clearances with point-to-point route segments, on the ground, or in the air. Prior to this change, IFR clearances were only issued when either ATC radar monitoring was available or when a departure procedure was published including a transition to the en-route structure. View the full NOTAM FDC 3/9599.

Jan. 8, 2013
On Jan. 10, 2013, at 0630 UTC, new RNAV routes will take effect for crossing the Gulf of Mexico. Two ATS routes will be maintained. Aircraft entering GoMex airspace at or after 0630 UTC are expected to file and fly the new GoMex route structure, including the new “Lima” and “Mike” RNAV routes. This will allow the application of 50 NM lateral separations for qualified aircraft, authorized for RNP 10 (minimum) or RNP 4. Learn more.

The airspace in and around the New York City metro area is the most congested and complex airspace in the NAS. Learn more the area airports, common departure and arrival issues, and the route issues encountered in the New York metro airspace.

During certain times of the year, particularly during the winter, seasonal traffic between the northeastern US and Florida increases dramatically. Offshore radar routes, and in some cases the Virginia Capes Operating Area (VACAPES), can be used to reduce congestion.

The Ski Country Special Traffic Management Program is run annually from about Thanksgiving through mid-April in order to control the IFR arrival rates into Aspen-Pitkin County/Sardy Field (ASE), Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE), Rifle/Garfield County Field Airport (RIL), Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ), Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) and Grand Junction Walker Field Airports (GJT).